


Prostitute

by RobronSugdenDingle



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Prostitution, Five Years Later, Jealous Robert Sugden, M/M, Misunderstandings, Post-Prison, Prostitution, Protective Robert Sugden, Return, Returning Home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 12:45:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21338464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobronSugdenDingle/pseuds/RobronSugdenDingle
Summary: Robert is released from prison after five years and on his night out, he bumps into Aaron Dingle with an older looking man in an alleyway and...Is he dealing drugs?
Relationships: Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden
Comments: 1
Kudos: 57





	Prostitute

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy this because the Emmerdale writers are clearly on huge amounts of crack at the moment. I can't believe they've trashed the best thing to ever happen to Emmerdale...so here, have my angry writing which I actually liked writing.
> 
> You have to admit though...its ridiculous that they have the rape victim go out with the rapists brother, yet she doesnt want to see the mother...but reveals shes having a son right in front of her...and gets stressed out because shes witnessed an argument that wasnt even about her by the way...then makes Aaron APOLOGISE to the mother! 
> 
> Writers are...on crack...

  
  
.............................  
  
  
  
The first time he returned to the village, it was to see his spiteful father's funeral from afar. He hated every single second, hated what the memories did to him, hated that he went back to university the day after with lingering thoughts that never seemed to disappear. His lecturer noticed and Robert discovered his true talent of spewing a lie with his silver tongue from that day. Late nights, studying...it was the perfect excuse.  
  
He didn't reveal that his dad had died and going back to the village made him want to jump off the first highest bridge he saw.   
  
The second time he returned to the village, he literally spit on his dad's grave and dug it into the soil with the toe of his designer boots he wore. Courtesy of Chrissie. He went to the Woolpack and saw his stepmother and his sister and managed to get one over on Andy and Katie.  
  
And yet despite it all, he still hated the village...hated the ghost of his dead father that haunted the back of his mind.  
  
But he met Aaron in that year...and suddenly the village felt like home. To hell with his dad.  
  
He went through true love, suffered heartbreak, survived death too many times to count and did every single sin in God's book...and it all happened in that village. And apart from a couple of small details, he wouldn't change a thing because Aaron was beside him.  
  
The third time he returned to the village was right now...  
  
Because after five and a half gruelling years of prison, he was finally out. His sentence over and done with. As per usual, everything looked the same, the grassy fields stretching on for miles, the cows having their meals...mocking Robert because they were imprisoned yet had their three meals a day. Robert barely kept his down.  
  
A few houses looked like they had been remodelled, painted even but other than that, everything was pretty much the same. He stepped foot in the cafe first, in desperate need for a coffee and he wasnt surprised to see a few familiar faces looking at him in shock. Lydia, with her never ending friendly smile and Sam who...didn't even notice over a slice of chocolate cake.  
  
Bob however, stuck his thumbs up and held out a hand for Robert to shake.  
  
"Alright mate? Welcome back then! What can I get you?!"  
  
"Just an Americano"  
  
"Righty-o! So are you back for good, or just a fleeting visit?"  
  
"Haven't decided yet actually"  
  
Bob nodded and handed him the coffee. He nodded his head over to a flyer hanging on the wall and smiled.  
  
"Its amazing isn't it? What the young minds can do. Once they've set their minds on something, and fully concentrate, they'll get far!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Little Liv! Well, suppose I cant say little anymore. A fine young woman shes turned out to be!"  
  
Robert looked at the flyer. An art exhibition in Stirling by Stirling university art students.   
  
"Oh...is she going? Or...?"  
  
"She's part of it isn't she? I'm not an art person, don't understand it personally, but if sculptures her thing, then sculptures it is!"  
  
He smiled at the flyer and sipped his coffee. Wow. Liv...at a university all the way in Stirling. Doing art exhibitions and everything! He felt old. Knowing that before he was in prison...Liv was teasing his home cooking and was still in that phase of playing video games until four in the morning...now she was studying away and making new creations for the world to see!  
  
He politely told Bob that he should go and stepped outside and took a deep breath. Liv, his little sister he saw as a daughter instead...she was doing amazing. He wondered how Seb would be. He would be...seven now. Seven going on eight.   
  
He would be able to talk and be able to walk all on his own. He would have started school and he would've made friends and...  
  
And Aaron would be the one looking after him. He had signed the papers giving Aaron guardianship of Seb after Rebecca's passing a year after he was imprisoned. Judging by the time right now actually...Seb should be in school right now.  
  
He spun on his heel and turned towards the Woolpack. He tossed his americano in the bin and decided he would order a coffee inside, use that as an excuse to hang around and get used to his surroundings once more.  
  
He wasnt surprised to see Chas' wide eyes as soon as he stepped in and he sat at the bar and smiled.  
  
"I'll have a brew if you're offering"  
  
............  
  
The chatted about anything and everything. Literally everything, even the heartbreaking realisation of Aaron having a few short term partners, but never long enough because he was focused on Sebs upbringing. Liv went to university in Stirling and came back to visit on special occasions and holidays. Seb enjoyed school, had a few friends and the most shocking of all, Victoria and Diane had left. They had decided they couldn't handle it after all and moved to their original plan. Nobody even knew if she had the baby or...or not.  
  
"Well Aaron's at a meeting, so you'll have to talk to him about Seb when he's back. He's started up a new business and everything you know"  
  
"New business? What happened to the scrapyard?"  
  
"Two words. Kim flipping Tate. As well as her henchmen. Don't even get me started on Rhona. That womans nothing but trouble, siding with them over us..."  
  
Before she could fall into another rant, Robert stopped her quickly and opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by a child screaming. The door swung open and Chas put her hands on her hips and frowned.  
  
"Eve Dingle!"  
  
Eve only laughed and upon noticing Robert, she fell into a shy state, biting a finger and then ran upstairs and continued to slam doors. Robert briefly wondered why Chas wasnt doing anything about that and Chas shrugged.  
  
"Slamming doors...comforts her. Gives her the impression that shes in a smaller space. It's more comfortable for her"  
  
Robert was still confused.  
  
"Shes autistic"  
  
.................  
  
His first official meeting with Aaron was when he was trying to steal his car, that had been a rollercoaster of blackmail and emotions. Their reunion was beautiful, the two of them and even their reunion after Aaron was released from prison was beautiful too. He supposed he was expecting a dramatic reunion yet again, a beautiful first meeting.  
  
Needless to say, he was pretty disappointed when he quite literally bumped into Aaron outside the shops. Aaron mumbled an excuse me before realising it was Robert and looked at him with big wide eyes.  
  
"That's...hi. You're...you're out then?"  
  
Robert nodded and immediately took in his appearance. His face was slightly shaved, making him look younger and his hair was definitely longer to the point it had started to curl slightly. He still wore his signature hoodie but Robert knew Aaron inside and out. He saw the way the wind blew...saw the massive weight difference on him. He was so thin. Was he sick?   
  
"Seb doesnt finish school until three. I don't wanna confuse him so quickly, not when everything's going so well for him..."  
  
Aaron scratched his neck awkwardly and accidentally pulled down the collar of his t-shirt. Robert didn't miss the red purple mark on his neck and he bit his lip.  
  
"I uhh...partner then?"  
  
Aaron slapped a hand over the mark, still not hiding it properly since he couldn't see and he shook his head.  
  
"No. Just a one night stand. I'm focusing on Seb you know..."  
  
"I know. I...do you wanna get a catch up? In the caff?"  
  
"Nah...I have another meeting soon. I'll see you around"  
  
And with that, Aaron walked away whilst keeping one hand firmly on his neck.  
  
...........  
  
"I know Legally we're divorced, but I thought I strictly told you-"  
  
"Robert, I had the police sniffing down my neck when he went straight to them. How was I supposed to keep following him if I was gonna be up for a stalking charge?!"  
  
Robert bit his tongue then and debated hanging up on the phone for a couple of minutes. He spoke some harsh words to his solicitor once more and hung up before he could get another word in edgeways. He tossed his phone on the hotel bed and walked over to the window to get a better look. It wasnt the poshest, since it was in the middle of town in Hotten beside a very busy main road, but it was the closest.  
  
And he wasnt very keen on asking everyone in the village if he could sofa surf for a while. It was stupid, he and Aaron were legally divorced...it shouldn't be sinking in to his brain right now. It shouldn't. And it shouldn't have made his stomach lurch when Aaron mentioned he was with a one night stand.  
  
He never got to ask what his job was like. He supposed Aaron didn't want him around to see Seb either, using the excuse that he would be too confused. No...Aaron had raised Seb. He knew what was best.  
  
He groaned and pressed his forehead against the cool window, cooling down his oncoming headache. All this thinking and going in circles was messing with him and he didn't want to keep lurking on that. He just needed a night out, needed to let off some steam, that's all. He did have a hotel room after all.  
  
He shoved on a shirt, trousers and made sure he had his wallet before leaving. Just a few drinks in a super cheap bar and hopefully a shag if his pulling methods hadn't disappeared.  
  
Turns out, they hadn't. A fit bloke with spiky brown hair (used too much gel) and a grey shirt was like pudding after a couple of compliments and a couple of knee nudges. They bought each other beers and when this...Liam fellow decided he was gonna get a taxi, Robert told him to go on and waited until he left. He bought and downed two shots quickly and then froze when he spotted the one and only Aaron Dingle.   
  
The bartender gave him a couple of shots and Aaron left again, clearly in a rush. Jealousy spiked through the blonde, even though there was no need to because again, they were divorced. But Robert watched as Aaron walked over to a guy who...had to be well older than him and he slid his palm from the back of the guys shoulder to the other in one elegant stroke. The guy stood and smiled and left after him.  
  
Robert frowned. What was Aaron doing in a non gay bar, with rubbish but super cheap drinks and picking up random strangers? As far as he knew, Aaron was comfortable in gay bars only.  
  
He completely forgot about Liam and walked outside where he followed the guy. Surely Aaron wasnt cheap enough to shag the guy in an alleyway?  
  
Instead, he listened around the corner and frowned even more.  
  
"The money first mate..."  
  
"Money first? Shouldn't I wait until I see if its worth it first?"  
  
"Believe me, its money you're guaranteed to spend"  
  
What was Aaron talking about? Money guaranteed to spend? He wasn't...no...he gave that up! He couldn't be back on drugs...or worse. Dealing!   
  
"Fine then. If it ain't, I demand a refund"  
  
"You think you get refunds in businesses like this?"  
  
Robert heard the man chuckle and heard a gross sounding wet kiss. He couldn't stand here and listen...he couldn't! So he did the most rational thing in that moment.  
  
Run up to the pair and yank the guy off him. The guy yelled and glared at the pair and Aaron? His eyes couldn't have been any wider. Robert pointed at the guy angrily.  
  
"Go on! Get out of here! Don't think of going back to him!"  
  
"Robert what are y-!"  
  
"I knew it! Knew this was a scam! Fucking trying to rip me off!"  
  
The guy spat on the ground and stormed away and Aaron pushed Robert.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!"  
  
"Me?! What about you?! Dealing drugs?! I thought you were past all that! You're looking after my son!"  
  
Aaron shook his head and tried to storm past Robert who only yanked his arm harder. Working out in prison did do wonders to his body after all.  
  
"You owe me a wage!"  
  
"Oh please, I seriously doubt fifty quid is gonna last you long"  
  
"No, you owe me two hundred!"  
  
"Two hundred?! How much were you givi-ok that's it, hand it over. All of it"  
  
Aaron looked down for a couple of seconds and Robert repeated himself yet again.  
  
"Aaron!"  
  
"I don't have any!"  
  
"What do you mean you don't have any? I just heard-"  
  
Robert stopped mid sentence and stopped for a couple of seconds to join the dots. Aaron looked like he was ready to cry and Robert continued to look at the purple mark on his neck before closing his eyes and covering them with his hands. He removed them from his face and sighed.  
  
"He wasn't paying you for drugs was he? He was paying you two hundred...for sex..."  
  
Aaron still didn't meet his eyes, but he rubbed them, dampening his sleeve.  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
Robert walked away then and Aaron flew after him, grabbing his arm and panicking straight away.  
  
"Robert! Robert wait! You can't tell anyone! Hang on a second!"  
  
Robert got into a taxi at the taxi rank and motioned for Aaron to get in with him. Aaron followed and the driver drove to the hotel that Robert was staying at.   
  
..........  
  
During the whole taxi ride, Robert didn't speak a single word to Aaron. Aaron, on the other hand, was constantly panicking and freaking out. He repeated over and over how much his family would freak out if they found out he had been forced to prostitution.   
  
They got out the taxi, made their way up to the hotel room and Robert finally snapped with the constant annoying chatter and pleas from Aaron.  
  
"Will you just-! Fucks sake...can't even hear myself think! Hurry up, get in"  
  
............  
  
A mug of tea was given to a shaky Aaron who sat on the bottom of the bed, no sugar and the tiniest dash of milk, just how he liked it. How could Robert forget after all. Robert joined him on the bed and sat down and sighed. He was tired. This was turning out to be a much more eventful night than he planned.  
  
"How much trouble are you in?"  
  
"I'm not...its nothing to do with the police or anything. I havent done any dodgy deals if that's what you're asking..."  
  
The blonde nodded.  
  
"Ok. Umm, how long have you been...?"  
  
Aaron looked down at his mug of tea shamefully. Tears pricked his eyes again and he shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Over a year...I think?"  
  
And Robert's breath hitched because...over a year? That's how long Aaron had been...no. He couldn't get upset. He had to support the one who was really in trouble here...  
  
"What...but the scrapyard, the business and even the garage! Did Cain refuse or summat?!"  
  
Aaron scoffed.  
  
"You really havent been filled in on the gossip then, have you?"  
  
Robert did lie a little. He already knew that Kim Tate was apparently the reason for the scrapyard disappearing, but he didn't know why. He needed to find out more information.  
  
"Robert, as soon as you left, everything went downhill. Business clients left. They didn't even wanna see Jimmy, just you. The divorce wasn't cheap either...and eventually, Kim bought the scrapyard, demolished it and turned it into an extra outdoor centre space thing. I had to make a deal with her...I had to keep the house and give her the scrapyard for a cheap price, or lose the house and keep the scrapyard...you can probably guess what one I chose"  
  
So he had made a dodgy deal after all. Not that it was Aaron's fault. Robert remembered the deal he had to make with that pompous stuck up Joe just to save Aaron's life!  
  
"I...and then Liv got accepted to go to Uni in Stirling and I had to find some way of getting her money to help her. I took out a loan...and gave her that. It still wasnt enough though, I had to take out another loan, make another deal with Kim...then another loan and it just mounted up and up. No job would have been enough for me to pay that back and the interest just built up from time to time..."  
  
Robert grimaced. He briefly remembered himself falling into money problems when he left the village as a teen, but they weren't this bad since he had Annie to fall back on for support. Aaron had plenty of support, why didn't he ask?!  
  
"Then I got guardianship of Seb and that was an extra cost, not that I minded. Of course not. I ended up asking Cain for any dodgy jobs going on...but i turned them down when the time came because I didn't wanna risk losing Seb if the coppers started sniffing around..."  
  
Robert had to pinch the bridge of his nose to calm down. He just...just couldn't believe that all of this was happening...had happened to Aaron since he was gone.  
  
"You can't keep doing this Aaron...you can't"  
  
"Do you think I want to do this?! I tried everything Robert! Everything! So far...."  
  
Aaron's voice cracked and he rubbed his throat with his fingers and set his tea down on the floor before standing up.  
  
"So far this is the only thing that worked...is working...so I'm sorry, I know I should stop and I know you want me to stop, but I can't or I'll lose everything..."  
  
Robert squeezed his eyes shut and walked over to a lone chair sitting in the corner of the room. He pulled it a bit closer to Aaron and sat down, shoulders tight with tension.  
  
"I don't know what you want me to say Robert..."  
  
"That you'll stop!"  
  
"I can't!"  
  
Robert groaned and bent over to push his head in his hands. He sniffed even though he wasnt crying and he just sat there in silence. He heard Aaron sit down on the bed and both of them sat there, no words spoken between them....  
  
It was after exactly 22 minutes that Robert decided that sitting in silence, minus the sounds of Aaron sipping his tea, wouldn't be achieving anything and he stood and walked over to sit beside Aaron. He took a deep breath and sighed.  
  
"I know how much sex is important to you...I remember you mentioning it when we were...anyways, I remember your struggles and your challenges when it came to it, especially after everything with Gordon..."  
  
Aaron sniffed and wiped his eyes.  
  
"It is important to me...I only ever told you my secret about it..."  
  
"I still remember it. That you think sex is a romantic thing between two people..."  
  
Aaron scoffed.  
  
"Cheesy, innit?"  
  
"No, its just you...your way of thinking about it. But Aaron, doing this...just throws away your beliefs on sex, it takes away everything you've built up. You think sex is a romantic act between two people...that's why its important to you...don't throw that all away by..."  
  
"By what? Shagging people who aren't my partners?"  
  
Robert nodded and Aaron looked down at the floor, at his feet before standing up so suddenly.  
  
"Can I sleep here tonight?"  
  
"Yeah. Yeah of course. Do you...I can take the couch..."  
  
"No. No, I'll take it. I like the feeling of single beds better now. Double beds too big..."  
  
.................  
  
Late in the night, well morning really, around three, Aaron pushed the thin blanket off of him and moved from the couch to slowly slide in the bed. He lay behind Robert in a slightly curved position and wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist. He knew Robert was awake instantly, especially when he pushed his forehead against Robert's shoulder.  
  
"Sex is important to me..."  
  
"I know"  
  
"Doing it with girls was easy because I was in control...even though I was faking it...but with guys, it took a while because of..."  
  
"You don't have to explain..."  
  
"I don't feel anything when I'm with others...I end up zoning out until I feel nothing at all..."  
  
Robert nodded to silently show Aaron that he was still listening and Aaron continued his quiet rant.  
  
"You know...I still thought about you...when you were gone. I missed you like crazy..."  
  
Robert froze. Was that....?  
  
"Aaron..."  
  
"Do you think you'd be able to make me feel something again....?"  
  
It was....it was Aaron's hand, moving down to-  
  
"Aaron no!"  
  
He shot up out of bed and stood up and turned to face Aaron with his eyes wide open. Aaron just sat up until he was balanced on his knees and he looked genuinely confused.  
  
"What? What is it?"  
  
"What is it?! Aaron I'm not sleeping with you! After everything that's happened today...just no!"  
  
"Because you don't see me like that anymore...fine, I get it"  
  
He watched Aaron begin to move off the bed and he rushed forwards to grab his hands and try and make Aaron look at him.   
  
"I'm not sleeping with you...because that's me taking advantage...we've both had an eventful night. I cant sleep with you...not while you're like this. Sex is a romantic thing, remember? Between two partners...I'm not one of your customers...I'm sorry...."  
  
Aaron pushed himself forwards to wrap his arms around Robert and he hugged him tight, never wanting to let go. Robert couldn't do anything but breathe in the familiar smell of Aaron that he missed so so much...  
  
How was it that Robert seemed to be the answer to all his problems?  
  
"We'll get through this...you won't have to work as....this anymore...and maybe overtime, you'll find someone-"  
  
"I just want you..."  
  
Robert chuckled.  
  
"Maybe overtime, me and you, we'll get another chance at this relationship thing, yeah? We'll...we'll go on actual dates...then later, we'll bring the true romantic meaning of sex back into your life, ok?"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah really. You never really lost me, you know?"  
  
Aaron smiled and clenched Robert tighter.  
  
"I know"  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? I'm keeping this a one shot by the way.


End file.
